Wheelchair-bound persons are often unable to fully participate in and enjoy certain amusement rides, due to inaccessibility of the ride vehicle. While some ride vehicles can accommodate the physically challenged, they sometimes do not provide the same ride experience or have been modified in ways which limit the thrill or enjoyment of the ride. Carousels, although one of the oldest types of ride attractions, still remain a favorite ride today, especially among children. In traditional carousel-type rides, character vehicles (e.g., horses) move up and down relative to the rotating carousel platform, while chariot or other types of vehicles having conventional seats remain fixed and do not move relative to the rotating platform.
Although these chariots and other types of vehicles may be able to physically accommodate a rider in a wheelchair, the rider must first be able to gain entry into the vehicle. However, even then, the physically challenged rider would not have the same ride experience as riders on the moving vehicles, such as the traditional horses, because the fixed vehicle does not move up and down. As the carousel platform is typically raised up above the ground surface, and as the carousel must preferably be free to start and stop at any angular position, providing access to the physically challenged presents various design obstacles which are not readily overcome using conventional techniques. Moreover, for both aesthetic and practical reasons, the perimeter area of the carousel should be free of obstructions when the carousel is in use. Most conventional ways for providing access cannot readily meet these design goals. While access ramps for the physically challenged have been used with carousels, they generally have had significant limitations in providing safe yet quick loading and unloading.
Accordingly, it is an objective of the invention to provide an improved access system for the physically challenged in an amusement ride, and particularly on a carousel. It is also an objective of the invention to allow more physically challenged persons to share the entertainment experience provided by amusement and theme park rides.